1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connecting structure for welding a club head component to a golf club head body. Particularly, the present invention relates to an assembling opening of the golf club head body providing with a supporting bottom periphery for intensively supporting the club head component for welding operation. More particularly, the present invention relates to the assembling opening of the golf club head body further providing with a tapered portion used to release inert gas from a welding channel.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,617,537, entitled “method for combining a golf club head and a ball striking plate,” discloses following steps: separately prefabricating a golf club head body and a striking plate, the club head body forming an assembling opening with an inner circumference and a shoulder, and the striking plate having an outer circumference so that the inner circumference of the assembling opening corresponding to the outer circumference of the striking plate; commonly forming an inclined surface on each of the inner circumference of the assembling opening and the outer circumference of the striking plate, and the assembling opening further providing with an engaging protrusion; a block pressing the engaging protrusion for deformation after positioning the striking plate on the shoulder of the assembling opening; melting a boundary between the inner circumference of the assembling opening and the outer circumference of the striking plate; surface-finishing the golf club head body and the striking plate.
In welding operation, the golf club head and the striking plate may be selectively used a variety of welding methods, such as tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, laser welding, plasma welding or other suitable welding methods. However, the welding operation needs using argon as a protection gas for covering a welding portion (i.e. welding channel). A surplus of the inert gas may remain between the assembling opening of the golf club head body and the striking plate if a rear surface of the striking plate closely confront with the shoulder of the assembling opening. Due to obstruction of the shoulder of the assembling opening, void defects may be generated in the welding portion that causes incomplete welding if the inert gas cannot be properly released from the welding portion. Consequently, the void defects may reduce welding intensity between the golf club head body and the striking plate, and deteriorate welding quality and reliability. Additionally, the elastic deformation of the striking plate may be ineffective while striking golf if the rear surface of the striking plate closely confront with the shoulder of the assembling opening.
Another U.S. Pat. No. 6,780,124, entitled “golf club head for welding,” discloses a golf club head body and a striking plate. The golf club head includes an assembling opening at its front side, and the assembling opening provides with a filling protrusion on its periphery instead of a shoulder. The filling protrusion further includes a series of engaging notches disposed thereon. Correspondingly, the striking plate further includes a plurality of support rods mounted on a front surface thereof. In assembling operation, the striking plate is received in the assembling opening of the golf club head body, and the support rods of the striking plate are correspondingly engaged with the engaging notches of the filling protrusion of the assembling opening so as to position the striking plate on the golf club head body. Consequently, the striking plate and the golf club head body can be rapidly pre-assembled in preparing for a welding procedure. In welding operation, the inert gas remained in a clearance between an outer circumference of the striking plate and an inner circumference of the assembling opening of the golf club head body may be properly released through a rear surface of the striking plate since no shoulder of the assembling opening may obstruct the inert gas. Consequently, no void defect may be generated in the welding portion of the golf club head.
However, the support ribs of the striking plate and the engaging notches of the golf club head body may sophisticate the entire structure of the golf club head. Moreover, a deburring operation for eliminating the support ribs and the engaging notches is required and thus complicated the manufacture method for the golf club head after the welding operation. Accordingly, there is a need for improving and simplifying the welding structure of the golf club head.
The present invention intends to provide a connecting structure for welding a club head component to a golf club head body. The golf club head body provides with a welding inner circumference of an assembling opening while the club head component correspondingly provides with a welding outer circumference. Furthermore, the assembling opening of the golf club head body provides with a supporting bottom periphery for intensively supporting the club head component, and a tapered portion to form a space for releasing inert gas from a welding channel that may increase welding quality, intensity and reliability. Additionally, a buffer space of the golf club head body formed by the tapered portion of the assembling opening permits deformation of the club head component.